On Doctoring MEDLINE searches, with reference librarian comments, March 2000

The question was

Utility of Screening chest x-rays in smokers vs. nonsmokers
(Please look at only last combination, last 32 articles, since the others are just preliminary searches). Thanks!

1     *Mass screening/ or "screening tests".mp.    results= 18250   
2     limit 1 to (human and english language)    results= 13963   
3     exp diagnostic tests, routine/ or exp lung/ or exp lung    results= 416254   
diseases/ or exp lung neoplasms/ or exp mass chest x-ray/
or exp pneumoconiosis/ or exp radiography, thoracic/ or exp
tuberculosis, pulmonary/ or "chest x-ray".mp.
4     limit 3 to (human and english language)    results= 222380   
5     exp lung/ or exp lung neoplasms/ or exp nicotine/ or exp    results= 244092   
smoking/ or exp tobacco smoke pollution/ or "smokers".mp.
6     limit 5 to (human and english language)    results= 131230   
7     2 and 4 and 6    results= 215   
8     exp Mass screening/ae,mt,cl,ct,ec,sn,is,st,ut [Adverse    results= 11996   
Effects, Methods, Classification, Contraindications,
Economics, Statistics & Numerical Data, Instrumentation,
Standards, Utilization]
9     limit 8 to (human and english language)    results= 9905   
10     exp Smoking/    results= 52490   
11     limit 10 to (human and english language)    results= 42107   
12     *Lung neoplasms/    results= 50124   
13     limit 12 to (human and english language)    results= 29771   
14     9 and 11 and 13    results= 14   
15     exp radiography, thoracic/ or Radiography/    results= 24394   
16     limit 15 to (human and english language)    results= 11943   
17     exp Mass screening/    results= 41773   
18     limit 17 to (human and english language)    results= 31154   
19     exp Smoking/    results= 52490   
20    limit 19 to (human and english language)    results= 42107   
21     exp Lung neoplasms/    results= 75159   
22     limit 21 to (human and english language)    results= 45052   
23     16 and 18 and 20 and 22    results= 32   

Reference Librarian comments

Congratulations on your Medline search. I hope the 32 references you got a the conclusion of the process were helpful. You are using the system about right -- you are exploding MeSH terms, using subheadings appropriately, combining sets, etc. I like to save myself the time and clicking and do the "English" and "Human" at the end, but that's just a personal preference.

Did your search pick up these?

Early Lung Cancer Action Project: overall design and findings from baseline
screening.

Reanalysis of the Mayo Lung Project data: the impact of confounding and
effect modification.

At any rate, you did a fine job. Thanks for participating in the exercise...